Wind my roof

Wind my Roof, founded in June 2018 by Antoine Brichot and Yanis Maacha, is a company focused on renewable energy solutions for buildings. The venture originated as a student project in September 2016 at the École des Ponts, where the co-founders developed the initial concept for a roof-mounted wind turbine. Their efforts gained early recognition, winning the VINCI Innovation Award in 2017, which led to an eight-month incubation period at Leonard, VINCI's accelerator. This experience was pivotal in transitioning the project into a commercial enterprise, with Antoine Brichot assuming the role of CEO and Yanis Maacha becoming the CTO.

The company's core product is the WindBox, a patented hybrid system that integrates a compact, horizontal-axis wind turbine with photovoltaic solar panels. This module is designed for flat-roofed buildings and is installed on the edge to capture accelerated winds, enhancing its energy output. The WindBox aims to address the challenge of local, clean energy production in urban environments, targeting a client base that includes public and private sector buildings like companies, town halls, gyms, warehouses, and shopping centers. By combining wind and solar power, the system provides a more consistent energy supply, generating electricity during the day, at night, and in various weather conditions. Each module can produce up to 2,500 kWh of electricity annually.

The business model centers on the sale and installation of these WindBox units, helping building owners increase their energy autonomy and reduce their carbon footprint. The company has secured multiple funding rounds, including an initial €600,000 in 2020 from EIT InnoEnergy and VINCI Energies, with support from BPI France. A subsequent funding round raised €2 million from Groupe Idec and other investors to advance R&D and scale up industrialization. The first series of WindBoxes went into production in 2022 at a French factory owned by SIMRA, a subsidiary of SEGULA Technologies, which has been a key partner in the product's design and assembly. The company's emissions are reported to be around 25g eq-CO₂/kWh over a 20-year lifespan, which is stated to be lower than solar panels alone.

Keywords: renewable energy, rooftop wind turbine, solar hybrid, distributed generation, building energy, energy autonomy, urban wind power, WindBox, cleantech, property technology, green building, energy efficiency, local energy, self-consumption, sustainable buildings, decarbonization, flat-roof energy solutions, Antoine Brichot, Yanis Maacha, combined energy solutions